edible VANCOUVERÂ® - Edible Communities

a member of edible communities 

edible Vancouver ® 

the story on local food 

issue four • winter 2008 

my slice of heaven 

chocolate with bacon? 

winter vegetables, ooh la la!

Not just a wine store. A BC wine store. 

KENSINGTON SQUARE WINES 6626-B Hastings Street. Burnaby. 604-294-9573. kensingtonsquarewines.com 

SIP WINES Ironwood Plaza, Unit 1030-11660 Steveston Hwy. Richmond. 604-271-9463. sipwines.ca 

VILLAGE WINES (DUNBAR) 3536 West 41st Ave. & Dunbar. Vancouver. 604-269-9433. villagevqawines.com 

VILLAGE WINES (KITSILANO) 1811 W 1st Ave. Vancouver. 604-732-8827. villagevqawines.com 

VILLAGE WINES (EDGEMONT VILLAGE) 3050 Edgemont Blvd. North Vancouver. 604-985-9463. villagevqawines.com 

THE WINE EMPORIUM #500 - 22259 48th Ave. Langley. 604-532-5388. wine-emporium.com 

BELLEVUE WINE COMPANY 1471 Bellevue Ave. West Vancouver. 604-913-0802. bellevuewine.com

Contents 

edible NOTES 3 

edible WINTER 4 

What’s in season? Winter vegetables, ooh la la! 

edible Heroes 9 

edible Gifts to make 10 

edible Gifts to buy 11 

My Slice Of Heaven 12 

On loving fruitcake beyond all measure 

By Becky Southwell 

The Forerunners of Pleasure 15 

Local hops for local beer 

By Rick Green 

Want to buy local? Join the club 17 

Ways to buy fresh from the farm 

By Kimberly Fehr 

edible Experiment 20 

Control your temper: chocolate with bacon 

By Bambi Edlund 

field NOTES 24 

Taxing farmers off the land 

By Jeff Nield 

church-made comfort food 26 

Perogies are the flannel pyjamas of the culinary scene 

By Debbra Mikaelsen 

What the Girls Are Drinking 28 

What the boys Are Drinking 29 

Source guide: Where to find 30 

edible events 30 

finish 32 

Photo this page and Finish: Philip Solman 

Cover photo: Bambi Edlund

edible Vancouver 

Publisher 

Philip Solman 

Editor 

Debbra Mikaelsen 

Art Director 

Bambi Edlund 

Contributors 

Bambi Edlund, Kimberley Fehr, 

Rick Green, Nettie Holonko, 

Debbra Mikaelsen, Leeanne Munn, 

Rose Murray, Jeff Nield, 

Anna Olson, Eric Pateman, 

Philip Solman, Becky Southwell 

and Carole Topalian. 

Special thanks to Kim Peterson. 

Letter from the Editor 

I like Christmas. There; I’ve said it. I even like Christmas shopping, because a few years 

ago I discovered how much I could do at food and wine shops. I have no stomach for the 

mega-malls and their tinny muzak, but I find certain grocery stores and gourmet shops 

both cheerful and calming. There’s a wintry sort of magic conjured up by Granville Island’s 

roasting chestnuts, festive buskers and cozy little shops. 

There’s a strong case to be made for gifts of food and alcohol. With consumables, your 

choice is never going to be the wrong size or colour. It won’t need dusting, and you’re 

unlikely to discover it at a garage sale the following spring. It’s also much easier to find 

local products than if you’re buying gadgets, slippers, or ties. You can choose to spoil your 

loved ones with special indulgences that you know they’ll enjoy but would never buy for 

themselves. Or you can say you care about their health by giving organic products and gift 

certificates for food that is still recognizable as food. If your place of work participates in an 

exchange of gifts that must cost less than $10, a slab of chocolate or a jar of preserves will 

almost certainly be more popular than the toilet plunger that I received one year. 

With all the shopping and parties, with all that build-up, Christmas often seems like the 

culmination of winter, rather than the beginning. By mid-January I occasionally find myself 

thinking, “Well, that was interesting. Now I’m ready for spring.” 

If only. 

Winter is rather long here. And on that note, I have to say farewell, for a while. Edible Vancouver 

Spring will be out April first. (No fooling.) If that seems too long, please visit our 

(new) website for more stories, recipes, events and information. Believe me, we’ll miss you 

too, but let’s keep in touch through our Infrequent Emailings. (Sign up on the website.) 

Wishing you all the best of the winter season, and may the child in you stuff yourself on 

snowflakes. 

Debbra Mikaelsen 

Editor 

Mailing 

1038 East 11th Avenue 

Vancouver BC V5T 2G2 

info@ediblevancouver.com 

www.ediblevancouver.com 

Advertising 

Philip Solman 

ads@ediblevancouver.com 

Phone: 604-215-1758 

Letters 

editor@ediblevancouver.com 

Edible Vancouver is published seasonally by 

Two Spoons Media Inc. Subscription rate is 

$28 for four issues ($29.40 including GST) 

for delivery within Canada, or $35.00 in 

Canadian funds for delivery to the U.S. 

No part of this publication maybe be 

used without written permission from the 

publisher. ©2008. Every effort is made to 

avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, 

however, an error comes to your attention, 

please accept our sincere apologies 

and notify us. Thank you. 

Edible Vancouver is printed locally on 40% 

post-consumer recycled paper (cover is 30% 

post-consumer). Together, the result is: 

28 trees left in the forest 

2420 lbs net greenhouse gases prevented 

10,044 gallons of wastewater flow saved 

1290 lbs of solid waste not generated 

19,000,000 BTUs of energy not consumed 

2 | edible vancouver winter 2008

edible NOTES 

Winter Markets 

Sure, the harvest season is behind us, 

but the markets are not over. Discover 

what your local farmers and 

food artisans have to offer at these 

Winter Markets: 

In Vancouver at The WISE Hall, 1882 

Adanac St., on alternate Saturdays, 

December 6–April 25, 10am–2pm. 

In Port Moody at the Recreation 

Complex on Ioco Road, second and 

fourth Sundays, December through 

March, 1pm–5pm. 

In White Rock at The Elks Hall, 1469 

George St., December 7, 9am–1pm. 

More details: ediblevancouver.com 

Good Growing: 

The Gift for People Who Have Everything 

What do you give those people who seem to have it all? How about the 

gift of helping someone who has very little? 

People in developing countries can’t always afford to buy healthy foods 

like fruits and vegetables. We can help them to a better future with a 

Good Growing gift of seeds: a meaningful, enduring way to ensure that 

generations of families can grow their own nutritious produce, and sell 

the excess at local markets. At Ten Thousand Villages stores, $25 provides 

vegetable seeds and fruit seedlings for 10 families. More than a gift 

of food, it’s a gift of self-reliance. tenthousandvillages.ca 

The Flavor Bible 

by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. 

Little, Brown and Company. 

An inspiring resource for curious and adventurous cooks, 

this is not a recipe collection, but more of a how-to manual 

for creating your own. View it as a guidebook to an exotic 

country, one that encourages you to explore the terrain on 

your own, instead of prescribing a set itinerary. The Flavor 

Bible is an extensive guide to preparing dishes or meals that 

successfully marry different ingredients. Foods, alcohols, 

herbs and spices appear alphabetically, followed by a list of 

ingredients that tend to work well—or even brilliantly— 

with them. If that winter squash is demanding to be eaten, 

you can consult The Flavor Bible and discover that it will 

be excellent with onions, parmesan and chicken stock. 

There are fascinating bits of chef-wisdom about choosing 

herbs, honey, oil, salt and pepper. Frequently quoted 

are Vancouver’s own Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala (of 

Vij’s), and Dominique and Cindy Duby (Wild Sweets). 

Pity that the book’s subtitle is geographically challenged. 

edible vancouver winter 2008 | 3

edible WINTER 

What’s in Season? 

Apples, beets, broccoli, 

Brussels sprouts, cabbage, 

carrots, chard, chestnuts, 

chocolate, garlic, hazelnuts, 

heartnuts*, honey, kale, 

kohlrabi, leeks, mushrooms, 

onions, parsnips, pears, 

potatoes, radishes, spinach, 

squash, sunchokes, turnips, 

walnuts and more... 

*Heartnuts are a variety of Japanese walnut that grow at the Gellatly Nut 

Farm in Westbank, are harvested in autumn, and store well in their shells. 

Oh, my. 

Brussels sprouts, kale and turnips. What 

an intimidating list of things that many of 

us have been conditioned to loathe. But 

winter vegetables can be delicious. Even— 

dare we say—sexy. And it’s our hope that 

more people will learn to love them. 

Ways to sneak winter vegetables into your 

child, partner or self: 

• Pretend that raw cabbage leafs are 

tortillas and stuff with taco fillings. 

• Bake spaghetti squash until the flesh 

is, well, spaghetti-like. Toss with your 

favourite pasta sauce. 

• This is untried, but we’ve been told you 

can use parsnips in carrot cake recipes, 

or grate them into potato pancakes. 

Photo: Bambi Edlund 



Photo: Eric Pateman 

Chocolate Espresso Pots du Crème 

with Thomas Haas Sparkle Cookie 

Chocolate and more chocolate—what better way to brighten 

a cold, wet Vancouver day? I have seen grown men fight over 

Thomas Haas’ famous Sparkle Cookies. Made with almond 

flour, they’re the perfect gift for anyone with wheat allergies. 

Serve with a dark coffee or some blackberry port. 

From Eric Pateman, President and Founder of Edible BC 

6 oz organic dark chocolate disks 

1½ cups whipping cream 

1 

⁄2 cup whole milk 

1 1 ⁄2 to 2 tsp instant-espresso powder 

6 large egg yolks 

2 Tbsp sugar 

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. 

Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream, milk, espresso 

powder (to taste), and a pinch of salt just to a boil in a small heavy 

saucepan, stirring until espresso powder is dissolved, then pour 

over chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is 

smooth. 

Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in another bowl, 

then add warm chocolate mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. 

Pour this custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass 

measure and cool completely, stirring occasionally, for about 15 

minutes. 

Divide custard among 8 ramekins, then place custards in a hot 

water bath (a pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the 

ramekins) covered tightly with foil (with small holes poked in the 

top). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until custards are set around 

edges but still slightly wobbly in centres. 

Transfer ramekins to a rack to cool completely, uncovered, about 

1 hour. (Custards will set as they cool.) Chill, covered, until cold, 

at least 3 hours. 

Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche, crushed candy canes, a 

sprig of mint, and a freshly baked Sparkle Cookie (baking directions 

on the package). 

Serves 8. 

Waste Not 

• To get more juice out of lemons and limes, immerse 

them in boiling water for a minute or two (or zap in the 

microwave for 10 seconds). Then, using the heel of your hand, 

roll them around on the counter a few times before juicing. 

• Nuts should be stored in the freezer to keep them fresh, and 

toasted in a low oven to bring out the flavour before using. 

• Steam or stir-fry radish leaves and serve with butter and 

lemon juice. They taste like radishes, only a bit greener. 

• Save peelings and trimmings from 

scrubbed carrots, potatoes, celery, parsley 

stems, etc. (Don’t include cabbage, broccoli or 

other brassicas.) Keep in a freezer bag, frozen. When 

the bag is full, make vegetable stock by adding water, garlic, 

peppercorns, bay leaf, etc. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 

about an hour and strain. 

• Leftover wine can be frozen in ice cube trays for later use in 

sauces, soups, etc. (Wait a minute; you have leftover wine???) 



Borscht (Beet Soup) 

From Nettie Holonko 

1 

⁄3 cup navy beans 

2 cups grated beets 

4 cups water 

3 Tbsp instant chicken or vegetable stock 

(or just substitute the 4 cups water for 4 cups home-made 

stock) 

¼ cup chopped onion 

¾ cup diced tomatoes 

¾ cup diced carrots 

1 cup diced potatoes 

½ cup shredded cabbage (optional) 

2 small cloves garlic 

1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice 

1 Tbsp fresh parsley 

1 Tbsp fresh dill or ½ tsp dried 

½ cup whipping cream 

Wash beans and soak in a cup of water for at least 2 hours or 

overnight. In a large pot, bring to a boil and cook until soft, adding 

water if needed. Add water and/or stock, tomatoes and onions. 

Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Add beets and cook 

for another 10 minutes; then add cabbage, carrots and potatoes. 

Cook until vegetables are tender, add the beans, then remove 

from stove and add garlic, lemon juice, herbs and cream. 

Serves 4-6. 

Shredded Sprouts Sauteed with Pancetta 

From A Taste of Canada by Rose Murray (Whitecap, 2008) 

Brussels sprouts are a favourite in our family. It’s unfortunate 

many people avoid them because they have been subjected to 

overcooked grey versions of these little cabbage cousins. In this 

new fast way of cooking them, there is a lot of lively colour and 

flavour—sure to appeal to all. 

1 lb (500 g) Brussels sprouts 

1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil 

2 oz pancetta, diced (about 1 ⁄2 cup/125 mL)  

1 

⁄2 tsp (2 mL) hot pepper flakes 

2 Tbsp (25 mL) fresh lemon juice 

Trim the sprouts, cut them in half lengthwise and thinly slice 

across each half. (The sprouts can be shredded hours ahead of 

time and refrigerated.) 

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta 

and cook, stirring often, until crisp, about 4 minutes. With a 

slotted spoon, remove to drain on paper towels. Discard all but 

2 Tbsp (25mL) of the drippings from the pan. Add the shredded 

sprouts and hot pepper flakes; sauté for 3 minutes. Cover the pan 

and cook until the sprouts are tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes longer. 

Stir in the lemon juice, sprinkle with the pancetta and serve 

immediately. 

Makes 4 servings. 

(Editor’s note: a year ago, few things terrified me as much as a 

plate of Brussels sprouts. But I discovered that shredding and 

sautéing them turns them into a dish I actually look forward to. 

Prepare to become converted. DM.) 

Photo: © Chiya Li | Dreamstime.com 



Kale 

Kale is extremely nutritious and easy to 

grow, even in the cold season, and even 

by the most tentative gardeners. “What 

can I do with kale?” is the single question 

we get asked most at Edible Vancouver. 

One answer is to make these. They 

are ridiculously simple, and most people 

who like garlic give them the thumbs up. 

Kale Canapés 

4 cups of kale leaves, stripped from the thick stems 

8 slices of baguette 

1-2 enormous, juicy cloves of garlic 

1 Tbsp olive oil 

1 cup vegetable stock 

salt to taste 

Shred the kale leaves in quite fine pieces and rinse them well. 

Place in a bowl, pour enough boiling water over to cover, and 

let sit for a few minutes until very limp. 

Toast the baguette slices until just crisp and a light golden 

brown. Peel the garlic cloves and cut them into several wide 

pieces, exposing as much surface area as possible. Rub the 

cut garlic surfaces along each slice of bread, on both sides, 

until the toast is fragrant with garlic. Reserve garlic cloves and 

crush them. Heat the olive oil over low in a medium-sized pot 

and add the crushed garlic. Cook for a few minutes, until the oil 

is garlicky. Drain the water off the kale, toss the kale into the 

oil, and give it a good stir. Add the stock, cover, bring to a boil, 

then reduce and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Taste and add salt 

if desired. 

Kale photo: © Chiyacat | Dreamstime.com 

Using a slotted spoon, lift a portion of kale onto each piece of 

toast. Serve immediately, while still warm. 

Makes 8 pieces. 

More recipes at ediblevancouver.com. And if you’d like to 

share your best (original) recipes for winter vegetables, 

please send them to editor@ediblevancouver.com. We’ll add 

a few of the most promising to our website. 


SPCA Certified 

This holiday season… 

Eat Locally, Choose Ethically 

Cage Free Eggs 

~ 

Specialty Meats 

~ 

Artisan Cheeses 

Mandala 

Catering 

Productions 

GOURMET MACROBIOTIC CUISINE 

Infused with a French Mediterranean Elegance 

organic - seasonal - sublime 

Chef Nancy Cameron is a graduate of 

Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and The Kushi 

Institute of Massachusetts 

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, SPCA Certified since 2005 

At the BC SPCA, we put farm animal welfare at the top 

of our “wish list” by certifying farms that meet our high 

standards of humane care. 

Visit www.spca.bc.ca/farm for a list of fabulous holiday 

recipes featuring SPCA Certified products. 

BCSPCA 

Allow us to create a 

bountiful feast guaranteed 

to arouse passion…. 

“All the dishes you prepared for me 

were absolutely delicious. The tahini 

sauce was insane, the pressed salad 

and the miso soup were amazing!” 

Alicia Silverstone 

Private Cooking - Cooking Classes - Dietary Consultations 

778-280-3858 www.mandalacatering.com 

Edible Vancouver-HolidaySeason_41 1 

11/6/2008 12:28:48 PM 


edible Heroes 

Photo: Philip Solman 

Bicycle riders and 

bug eaters 

These three people are shaking up Vancouver’s 

food scene, and one of them in particular would 

like to start a genuine ripple. 

Meeru Dhalwala, partner and chef at Vij’s restaurant, 

became curious about less-accepted 

sources of protein when she read an article in 

the New York Times that equated bug-eating to 

bicycle-riding. The bicycle and its association 

with a greener, healthier lifestyle resonated with 

Meeru, and she wants Vancouver diners to have 

more bike-riding experiences. 

Her research took her to Seattleite David George 

Gordon (author of The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook), 

Barbara-Jo McIntosh, David George Gordon 

and Meeru Dhalwala 

who aspires to become the Martha Stewart of bug cooking. (He 

stands a good chance; there doesn’t seem to be much competition.) 

Meeru says, “Even talking to him on the phone made me queasy. I 

wasn’t sure I could go through with it. So I told everyone at work I 

was going to meet with him. That’s what I do to make sure I won’t 

get out of something.” 

David introduced her to a live waxworm. “After it popped in my 

mouth it tasted kind of like a grape,” says Meeru. She made herself 

eat another one immediately, before the ick-factor could get the 

better of her. “I wouldn’t want anyone to think ‘I’m too disgusted 

to do this.’ Believe me, I was just as disgusted.” 

She did want to put bugs on Vij’s menu, and they had to be local 

bugs, so she found a cricket ranch in north Washington state. 

They also had to be palatable. While David George Gordon likes 

people to face the reality of what they’re eating, Meeru decided to 

go more gently on her clientele. She roasts the crickets with oil and 

salt, grinds them to a powder, and works them into an unleavened 

bread. Anyone who has ever eaten at Vij’s will know they’re in good 

hands with Meeru. If you’re going to eat bugs, this is the place to 

do it. The bread has been quite popular, and Vij’s serves about 12 to 

13 orders a night. “People are excited to try it, and it’s the healthiest 

thing I’ve got on the menu,” she says. 

One cupful of crickets has about 250 calories and more iron than a 

steak. High in calcium and vitamins, they’re also a source of omegas. 

Because they’re small and low on the food chain, cricket-farming is an 

environmentally friendly alternative to raising meat. “We’re not doing it 

for shock value,” says Meeru. “We’d like to start a new food movement. 

It might take a few years, but there was a time when Vancouverites 

didn’t like sushi.” Because restaurants tend to fuel food movements and 

influence home-cooking, what she wants most is for more chefs and 

restaurateurs to come on board, either using crickets or others insects. 

And if that sounded like a gauntlet being thrown down, it was. 

Barbara-Jo McIntosh handed her Books to Cooks kitchen over to 

Meeru and David one night in October so that members of the public 

could learn about cooking with bugs. Guests sampled Meeru’s bread, 

the whole-roasted crickets, and David’s cricket-nymph orzo dish. He 

explained that bugs have been eaten by most of the world’s peoples; 

if anything we’re odd in North America for considering the idea so 

distasteful. He was quick to point out that early European settlers to 

North America found the idea of eating lobster disgusting, and that 

crickets and grasshoppers are related to shrimp and prawns. 

Not surprisingly, people often ask David about the weirdest thing 

he’s ever eaten. To which he says, “Cheez Whiz is pretty weird.” 

Vote for your local heroes 

In this busy voting season, cast one more vote for food. 

This is where you choose the farmers, chefs or restaurants, food 

or beverage artisans and non-profit organizations who deserve 

recognition for celebrating and supporting local food. 

The winners of Edible Communities’ Third Annual Local 

Hero Awards will be announced in our Spring 2009 issue. 

Vote online by December 12. ediblecommunities.com/heroes 


edible Gifts to make 

Chocolate Hazelnut Granola 

Everyone on your list deserves a good reason to get out of bed 

on dreary winter mornings. This uses local hazelnuts and honey, 

and is astonishingly good served with chopped dried prunes 

and a splash of milk. 

6 cups rolled oats (not quick oats) 

¾ cups chopped hazelnuts 

1 cup shredded coconut 

1½ Tbsp brown sugar 

pinch of salt 

4 Tbsp sunflower or canola oil 

¾ cup honey 

1 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate* 

Heat oven to 325ºF. 

In a 9”x12” baking pan, mix oats, hazelnuts and coconut. Toast 

for 10 minutes. 

In a small saucepan, warm oil over low heat. Whisk in honey, 

sugar and salt, and heat gently for 5 minutes or until liquidy and 

well-combined. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir well. Stir 

some more to prevent clumping. 

Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times during the 

process, getting your spoon right into the corners of the pan. 

Remove and stir frequently as it cools; don’t let it harden into 

clumps. 

When completely cooled, add the chocolate, mix well, and 

package in gift jars or bags. (Urban Source has some starry, 

festive, food-safe bags of varying sizes. urbansource.bc.ca) 

*Mini chocolate chips work and will save a bit of time, but 

there’s something deeply satisfying about hacking into a good 

block of chocolate, and finding irregular chunks, shavings etc. in 

your cereal bowl. 

Spiced Apple Butter 

From In the Kitchen with Anna by Anna Olson (Whitecap 2008) 

Makes about 6 cups (1.5 L) 

4 lb (1.8 kg) McIntosh apples 

1 cup (250 mL) apple cider 

3 cinnamon sticks 

1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger 

1 

⁄2 tsp (2 mL) ground nutmeg 

1 

⁄4 tsp (1 mL) ground allspice 

1 

⁄4 cup (60 mL) honey 

Peel, core and dice apples and add to a large, heavy-bottomed 

pot along with the cider. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, 

then lower the heat and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally 

until the apples are tender, about 20 minutes. Purée in a 

food processor (or with an immersion blender). Return the 

apples to the pot, add the spices and simmer uncovered over 

medium-low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring often. Add the 

honey and simmer, again stirring often, about 15 minutes more 

or until thickened—when lifting spoonfuls, it should mound a 

little. Pack the apple butter into sterilized jars, seal and boil for 

10 minutes in a canning pot (without submerging the seals). 

Sweet Pear Chutney 

From In the Kitchen with Anna by Anna Olson (Whitecap 2008) 

This is a lovely companion to any roast. 

Makes about 8 cups (2 L) 

12 Bartlett pears, ripe but still firm 

3 Tbsp (45 mL) lemon juice 

2 cups (500 mL) sugar 

1 Tbsp (15 mL) finely grated lemon zest 

1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon 

Peel, core and dice the pears, tossing with the lemon juice. Add 

the pears (and their juice), sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon to 

a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a simmer over 

medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pears are tender, 

about 20 minutes. Pack into sterilized jars and seal, or pack into 

tubs and freeze. 

Photo: © Jakub Pavlinec | Dreamstime.com 


edible Gifts to buy 

Photo: Philip Solman 

Just a small sampling of ideas for foodies, tipplers, gardeners and 

locavores. These retailers are well worth a visit, as many have an 

extensive selection of local delicacies. 

Under $5 

• Seeds for vegetables, herbs, and the flowers that attract pollinating 

insects. 

• Handmade Strawberry or Coconut Marshmallows, because they 

really are something special. butterbakedgoods.com 

• Salt and Pepper Chocolate Bark could become an obsession. It’s dreamy 

when paired with merlot. At the exceptionally intelligent Township 7 

Winery in Langley, and the Euphoria Store in Fort Langley. 

Under $10 

• Vista D’oro Spiced Cranberry with Ice Wine Artisanal Marmalade. 

Fantastic on a turkey sandwich, or spooned onto warm 

camembert. At Capers Whole Foods Markets. vistadoro.com 

• Langford’s Petal Shortbreads, made with real butter, dried fruit 

and flowers. At Cooks ‘N’ Corks in Port Coquitlam, and a few 

wineries. langfordfoods.com 

• Ethical Bean’s Fair Trade Loose-leaf Teas. Fair Trade Coffee 

abounds, but Fair Trade tea is harder to find. Thumbs up to 

Ethical Bean for thinking about tea farmers, too. At Ten Thousand 

Villages and other enlightened retailers. ethicalbean.com 

• Hainle Vineyards organic Merlot Jelly is perfect for the person 

you suspect would love a little merlot with his morning croissant. 

At Urban Fare. 

Under $15 

• Artisan Edibles Champagne Rose Petal Jelly. True artisans, they 

have managed to put the taste of summer in a jar, to sustain you 

through the monsoons. At Fieldstone Artisan Breads in Crescent 

Beach, Well Seasoned in Langley, Edible BC on Granville Island, 

and other tasteful purveyors of yumminess. artisanedibles.com 

• Edible Gardens Mission Fig Balsamic Spread. With (or even 

without) a bit of goat’s cheese, this is a bite of pure heaven. Capers 

Whole Foods Markets and other locations. ediblegardens.net 

Under $30 

• A bottle of Venturi Schulze Millefiori. A hauntingly delicious 

white wine named for a thousand flowers. Broadway International 

Wine Shop, Vancouver. venturischulze.com 

• A Green Zebra guide means the giftee gets coupons for great 

deals at local businesses, and you get to support TB Vets Charitable 

Foundation. greenzebraguide.ca 

• A subscription to Edible Vancouver. Four issue’s worth of 

stories, recipes and information about our local food scene. It’s 

what everyone on our list is getting this year. (Shh. Don’t tell.) 

ediblevancouver.com 

Under $50 

• Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë 

Francois. The recipient might bake up a storm and share the 

bounty. At Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks. 

• Okanagan Spirits Old Italian Prune or Poire Williams Eau de Vie. 

These European-style fruit brandies make exquisite after-dinner 

sipping. At many BC Liquor Stores. okanaganspirits.com 

Varying amounts 

• Gift Cards for the sustainable restaurants of the Green Table 

Network. Perhaps the recipient will treat you to lunch? Find 

members at greentable.net 

• Best of BC gourmet basket: the gift of BC’s most tasteful creations. 

everythingwine.ca 

• Food-gardening classes from Farmhouse Farm in East Vancouver. 

The course focuses on overcoming challenges like small space, 

limited time, etc., and your support will help keep farming alive 

in the city. Suggested donation is between $150 and $300 for the 

ten-week course. farmhousefarm@gmail.com 


My Slice Of 

Heaven 

By Becky Southwell 

On loving fruitcake beyond all measure 


Photos: Leeanne Munn 

There are a few things I am abashed to 

admit. I’m not going to tell you the first 

until we’ve gone out for a few drinks. 

The second is that, as a mom, I have been guilty of using an egregious 

amount of paper towels. On particularly frenzied days, after 

the baby has arched her eyebrow in disdain before flipping her 

pureed carrots onto the floor and my son has chased most of his 

spaghetti out of his bowl with his fork, I have been known to wad 

up a fistful of paper towels and attack the latest Jackson Pollock 

on my kitchen floor with brazen disregard for the environment, 

while saying a secret prayer of thanks to whomever invented this 

perforated roll of sanity and ease. Maybe my guilt is dialed a little 

high, but I fully expect St. Peter to greet me at the pearly gates 

wearing a David Suzuki pin and a big frown. At which point: I 

might offer him a fruitcake. 

After all, given the historical symbolism behind the cake (the three 

Magi bearing gifts for the Christ child), it seems like an appropriate 

house-warming gift for the world’s most powerful bouncer. And since 

this is my version of Heaven, fruitcake abounds. Which is my third 

abashed admission: I positively love Christmas cake. But for reasons 

I can’t quite fathom, this humble little tradition is only slightly less 

polarizing than a certain recent election south of the border. 

My husband is convinced that in the event of a nuclear holocaust, 

a family of cockroaches will crawl out of a hole, carrying a perfectly 

intact Christmas cake. I told friends I would be making several 

kinds of cake and invited them over to try it (and offer up witty 

quotes that I could crib for this article). One was willing—but only 

if I served lots of eggnog and promised to housesit her cat. Another 

made gagging sounds and uttered something like “Food of Satan”. 

Only my third friend (who is now my favourite) sounded thrilled 

and offered to bring a bottle of port. 

If food is love, then fruitcake is like a child’s Valentine, the culinary 

equivalent to a paper heart covered in wadded up tissues dabbed in 

glue. The exuberant excess carries a message to the recipient: either 

I love you! or at least I like you a lot!, or maybe Time to promote me! 

My grandmother’s cake went to each family member and was a 

labour of love. This is how special I think you are, her cake sang, I 

added sultanas, and nuts, and four different kinds of dried fruit, and 

laced it with brandy for weeks and weeks. No wonder we loved it: we 

were sauced. Regardless of the message, the symbolism is always 

extravagance, abundance for the coming year, and even decadence: 

so much so that Queen Victoria actually outlawed the cake for a 

period of time in the 1800s for being “sinfully rich”. 

I have to conclude that doubters have only ever tried mass-produced 

commercial fruitcake, the kind with candied chunks of fruit 

that glow in the dark. If you like the glowing green bits, then don’t 

let me burst your bubble, have at it. But fruitcakes come in so many 

different styles. Light cakes can include sultanas, pineapple, apricots, 

almonds, and a light-coloured cake base. Dark cakes (my 

favourite) tend to be denser, with molasses, brown sugar, raisins, 

dates, cherries and pecans. My grandmother’s was loaded with highquality 

dried fruits (none of the candied stuff) and nuts, drunk 

on its own good brandy, with a thick layer of marzipan and royal 

icing. Liquor can always be replaced with a fruit juice, pineapple, 

orange or apple. If you don’t like marzipan, I don’t think we can 

be friends, but go ahead and leave it off. It’s good to be very flexible 

in your Christmas cake creation. You can even make healthy 

fruitcake cookies or bars with whole wheat flour and half the sugar. 

(But, honestly, if you go for this option you sound like one of those 

people who sneak off to the gym on Thanksgiving while the rest of 

us are prying ourselves off the couch for more pie, and we all wish 

you would relax a little.) Whichever recipe you choose, just don’t 

build it up too much and procrastinate because you have to get 

moving on this one. Christmas cake with liquor takes a few weeks 

to ‘cure’ after it has been baked, so get cracking. 

Now if you’re like me, when you hear cooking advice like “be creative” 

you want to run away screaming. I am not an insouciant 

chef. I hate first-time adventures in the kitchen (get your mind out 

of the gutter). When faced with a new and even remotely complicated 

recipe, the cords in my neck start jutting out until I look 

like Eunice Kennedy Shriver, conversation makes me glare, and my 

husband has to remind me to breathe. Since “winging it” under 

any circumstance gives me a rash, I went recipe hunting. I started 

in the basement of my parents’ house, and while I don’t think my 

grandmother actually took her recipe to the grave with her, she may 

have, because it has vanished from the binder that holds her stained 

recipe cards written out in her calligraphic hand. 


I found three recipes at the library instead, and the best turned 

out to be from Martha Stewart. Now, I’ve always banished Martha 

from my kitchen for the simple reason that I believe she’s made her 

fortune on the backs of our collective feelings of inadequacy. Since 

she published her first book in 1982, one could even say she is in 

large part responsible for creating domestic low self-esteem, while 

offering up the only plausible solution: buying into her empire in 

the form of her cookbooks, TV show, magazine, linens, house-wares, 

or some other Martha liferaft. Then she went to prison. And glorybe, 

if she isn’t so much nicer now! Even that fusty New England 

accent has dropped several notches and her newfound earthiness is 

almost cool. More importantly, her recipe (from Martha Stewart’s 

Christmas Book) is delicious. 

I made a few changes to the recipe. I soaked the perkiest dried 

fruit I could find in a mixture of fruit juice and brandy for about 

24 hours. (If you include dates, do not soak them first, as they get 

mushy.) The only candied fruit I included were oranges and citron, 

and I skipped her decorative topping of pecans and dried apricots 

in favour of a layer of marzipan. 

The result was delicious, and I confess I didn’t exactly let it cure for 

six weeks. More like six minutes. But if we can stop sneaking little 

chunks every few hours around here, a small wedge might be left 

in six weeks so I can see how much better the cake tastes with time. 

My children love it too (yes, I cut off the brandy-soaked crust) and 

since fruitcake is basically the original protein bar, it’s a reasonably 

healthy snack for them. Even my husband admitted (somewhere 

between his second and third slice) that it was the best tasting doorstop 

he’d ever tried. 

So, you can’t please all the people, all the time. But since I’m constitutionally 

prone to trying, I’m going to make a Trinidadian black 

cake next. The fruit is soaked in rum for several days and then 

mashed, the result is a smooth, spicy cake with no alarming chunks 

to startle an already suspicious palate. If black cake doesn’t change 

his mind, there are innumerable varieties to try, because like Starbucks, 

or American Idol spin-offs, fruitcake is a (slightly puzzling) 

global phenomenon. 

According to culinary lore, the ancient Egyptians buried an early 

version of fruitcake with their loved ones (supporting my husband’s 

theory that they may indeed last for an eternity). A ring-shaped 

cake became common in Roman times, due to portability and shelf 

life, making them the perfect accompaniment on the battlefield. 

The connection to fruitcake and soldiering remains strong: almost 

3,000 pounds of Christmas cake were sent to Iraq in 2006. Over 

the centuries, each culture added a little something: honey and 

spices were added once the Crusaders brought these back from the 

Middle East; in the 1700s the cakes were loaded with nuts; then 

sugar came out of the colonies, making the cake even denser. 

A version of the cake became Twelfth Night cake, part of the raucous 

parties on January 5 th , celebrating the Epiphany of the Magi. These 

parties were more “Spring break on Miami Beach” than anything 

relating to three wise men, or a baby in a manger, and were ultimately 

banned by the Church. Not about to lose out on a sale, 

enterprising bakers tossed the lewd decorations in favour of snowy 

winter scenes and relabelled the product Christmas cake. 

The tradition endures, which may be in part why it is the brunt of 

so many jokes: like a drunk party guest who won’t leave, Christmas 

cake will never go away. The Collin St Bakery in Corsicana, 

Texas, produces over one million fruitcakes a year, shipping them 

to almost two hundred countries. So I am not alone in my love of 

fruitcake, (though I admit I may be more fervent than most). Try 

this: on a day when rain whips at the windows and you are tucked 

inside under a blanket, stack a slice of Christmas cake, a sliver of 

strong cheese, and an apple slice. Follow this with a sip of port. 

Heaven, right? I think St. Peter will agree. 

Grandma’s Fruitcake recipe is at ediblevancouver.com. 

Becky Southwell lives in Steveston with her husband, their two young 

children, and the world’s most tolerant dog. She is a connoisseur of 

sneaking pureed vegetables into everything. So if you come over for tea 

and cookies, consider yourself warned. 


The Forerunners 

of Pleasure 

BY RICK GREEN 

Photos: Rick Green 

Local Hops for Local Beer 

Mevlana Rumi said, "Burdens are the foundations of ease and 

bitter things the forerunners of pleasure." Rumi could have been 

talking about relaxing with a beer after a hard day's work, the bitterness 

coming from the hops that play a key role in the creation 

of a pleasurable beverage. For hundreds of years, we've taken this 

for granted. Today, however, the future character of our beer is not 

so certain. 

Hops are the female flower cones of a perennial herbaceous bine 

native to the Northern Hemisphere. Like seasoning in food, they 

comprise a very small amount of a beer's total ingredients, but 

make a significant contribution to the overall gustatory effect. 

Hops valued for bittering are added early to wort as it boils in the 

brew kettle. Finishing hops are varieties valued for their flavour and 

aromatic qualities; these are added near the end of the boil. Hops 

pitched after the beer has cooled and fermented contribute only to 

aroma, thus called aroma hops. 

Hops were also found to have superior preservative qualities, advocated 

by the German abbess, Hildegard von Bingen, as early as the 

12th century. A prime example is India Pale Ale, a highly-hopped 

beer style formulated in the mid-1700s to survive the lengthy sea 

voyage from Britain to the subcontinent. 

Hop growing came to British Columbia in the 1860s. The high cost 

of importing from San Francisco led Victoria's pioneer brewers to 

offer generous cash prizes for successfully growing hops on a commercial 

scale. Saanich farmers took up the challenge and hop-growing 

flourished. A hop boom ensued, and by the 1890s, hops were also 

grown in Kelowna, Squamish, Vernon, and the Fraser Valley. 

By the turn of the century, a severe hop louse infestation and a 

decline in international markets had eliminated production in all 

but the Fraser Valley. There, hop growing actually increased. The 

Chilliwack area was once the largest hop-producing region in the 

Commonwealth. At its peak in the 1940s, nearly 2,000 acres were 

under cultivation and employed 4,000 workers during picking 

season. 

By the late 1960s, however, consumer preference shifted to lighter 

beer. With higher production costs, demand fell, and the provincial 

industry steadily declined. The final BC harvest of 300 acres 

took place in 1997, at the John I. Haas hop yard in Chilliwack. 

North American hop cultivation became concentrated in Oregon 

and Washington, representing 25% of world supply. 

Limitations of the globalized supply chain became evident ten years 

later when a warehouse fire in Yakima, Washington destroyed one 

quarter of the American hop supply. Poor harvests in Europe and 

the US, combined with declining cultivation and increasing Asian 


demand, delivered a serious hop shortage. Small BC breweries were 

challenged to secure their hops, especially varieties for hop-intensive 

beer styles; they hastily sought substitutes. Tim Brown of Mission 

Springs Brewing went as far as New Zealand to meet his needs. 

In the competition for hops, the homebrewer is “low man on the 

totem pole”. Stuart Evans and Norbert Kaysser of the Royal Canadian 

Malted Patrol decided to grow their own to meet the limited 

needs of themselves and their fellow homebrewers. Now, not only 

have they secured their supply, they also have a decorative plant 

that provides them with shade from the sun, under which to enjoy 

the refreshment it helped create. 

Because time is precious and life is delicious 

Dix BBQ & Brewing 

brewmaster Derrick 

Franche examines hop 

cones at the Sartori 

Cedar Ranch nursery. 

FAST•FRESH•TO GO 

Too busy to cook nutritious, 

tasty, home-cooked meals? 

We can help! 

778-565-4678 odelish.ca 

10% discount for mentioning Edible Vancouver 

For the 100 block diet. 

142 pages of sustainable, local, ethical, practical 

shopping & eating www.greenzebraguide.ca 

Steve Forsyth, owner of Vancouver's Railway Club, enjoys a hoppy 

India Pale Ale, like those from R & B and Tree on draught at his 

club. With spare land near Mission, he decided to support the local 

brewers he relies upon by planting a variety of hops on one acre. 

After seeing which ones thrive, Forsyth will select the best eight 

varieties and expand the hop yard by another half acre. Although 

he sees this as more of a hobby than a serious business, his hops are 

already spoken for. 

One BC brewery growing its own hops is Sorrento's Crannóg Ales. 

Crannóg is Canada's only certified organic farmhouse microbrewery. 

They planted their hops upon opening in 2000; a full crop was 

realized in 2002. From that experience, they wrote a manual for 

small-scale producers, and sell hop rhizomes to those wanting to 

take up growing. 

The most ambitious undertaking in BC is in the quiet shelter of 

the Columbia Valley, west of Cultus Lake. Christian Sartori and 

Rick Knight (former John I. Haas Hop Co. foreman) planted five 

hop varieties in a nursery this year. Next year, they will transplant 

them on three acres. It takes approximately three years before a full 

crop of 1,400 pounds per acre can be harvested. Sartori and Knight 

expect to yield half a crop next September and intend to expand the 

farm by another nine acres. 

It remains to be seen if BC brewpubs and microbreweries can continue 

relying upon their traditional suppliers. Within the next two 

years, though, they will have some domestic options to choose 

from. In the meantime, brewers have been reformulating recipes or 

shifting to beer styles that use far fewer hops. Climate change may 

wreak havoc upon the world's primary hop-producing regions, but 

BC growing conditions are anticipated to improve. 

Rick Green is a Vancouver-based beer writer who publishes the BC Beer 

Blog. He is currently President of the Campaign for Real Ale Vancouver, 

and is thinking about starting a hop-op. 

Green Zebra Guide ad 

16 | edible vancouver winter 2008 

Edible Vancouver / 3.75 x 2.25” / CMYK / 6 November 08 

Keith > rare design inc: tel 604 505 4100

Want to buy local? Join the club 

By Kimberly Fehr 

Photos: Kimberly Fehr 

Ways to buy fresh from the farm 

East Vancouver resident Denise Wrathall wanted to buy local food, 

so when she found BC bok choy and beets at her local supermarket, 

she returned loyally for two weeks. One day she made a point of 

telling the manager how pleased she was that they were selling local 

produce. “He said, ‘Actually, it’s not from BC. I just didn’t change 

the sign.’” 

Wrathall shakes her head, but since then she’s found a better way. 

She joined the Neighbours Organic Weekly Buying Club, which 

re-invented itself as a co-op in September (after shutting down last 

February). The brief hiatus hasn’t slowed it down—with 18 buying 

clubs, it’s well up from the 12 on its roster when it closed. 

NOWBC had been operating as a small business since 2005, but 

proprietor Grant Watson found he still wasn’t making a living, even 

though membership doubled each year from 2005 to 2007. When 

he told members he was shutting down, they wouldn’t let him. 

“There was huge outcry,” recalls Wrathall. Core members were 

really upset, and after much discussion they worked out a way to 

transform NOWBC into a co-op, and Watson into the General 

Manager. Approximately 50 members like Wrathall contributed 

$20 each as seed money to get the co-op going. They started selling 

shares for $90 in September, and the first deliveries were made in 

October. Customers don’t need to be a shareholder to buy from 

NOWBC’s online catalogue, but those who do buy a share will be 

eligible for dividends, plus the added reward of knowing they are 

putting their money where their mouth is. 

“We are building a local food system,” says Watson. “We’re helping 

people reduce their carbon footprint with food that has travelled 60 

kilometres instead of 2,400 kilometres. It’s healthy, it tastes better 

and it’s fresh—our produce is picked the day before we get it. And 

we’re building community by working with our neighbours to 

create a more sustainable future.” 

With Neighbours Organic Weekly, there’s no guessing. Their 

website says exactly where their food comes from. When it’s not 


local, NOWBC aims to offer the best of the rest. For example, they 

get items like wheat products from Alberta, Saskatchewan and the 

Peace River area of BC. “Our goal is to have 80 to 90% of the 

product from BC,” says Watson, who used to be an organic farmer 

himself. “Things that grow in BC, we’ll buy here. If it doesn’t grow 

in BC, we’ll look for organic and/or fair trade if it’s possible. It’s 

member-driven. Our members would get upset if we had bananas 

that weren’t fair-trade in the catalogue.” 

Members can place orders online each week, and their goods are 

conveniently delivered to a drop-off point local to each buying 

club. The system is convenient for Wrathall; she has to walk the 

dog anyway so it’s easy for her to pick up her food. 

She has also been a member of the Nathan Creek Organic Farm Community 

Supported Agriculture program (CSA), buying a share of the 

crop for the season with a friend. Every week during the growing 

season they split a tub of local produce. Last year, members of the 

CSA created Keep Agriculture Local and Empowered (KALE), with 

the goal of supporting the farmer and building community around 

the farm. KALE goes one step further than the CSA—creating a 

support system around the farm while trying to engage members of 

the CSA into taking more active roles. Everyone who joins the CSA 

also becomes a member of KALE. Members share in the farmer’s 

successes and failures, and are also encouraged to come and volunteer 

for the farm and attend social events. It’s their way of recognizing that 

organic farmer Stephen Gallagher has none of the resources of large 

farms, and all of the challenges of doing it alone. Gallagher envisions 

that eventually it won’t be his farm—it will be the community’s farm. 

“KALE aims to create a community for the farm to protect its existence, 

and help ensure farmers can earn a living from it,” he says. 

Organic and 

naturally-raised 

meats; hand-made 

sausages and 

charcuterie; custom 

cuts and special 

orders welcome. 

OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK (CLOSED SUNDAYS) 

2425 MARINE DR, WEST VANCOUVER T 604-925-1636 

WWW.SEBASTIANANDCO.CA 


KALE board member Derril Gudlaugson has been buying farmdirect 

since he saw a notice at Mountain Equipment Co-op in 1996. 

“At that time the big concern was vegetables grown in contaminated 

water in California and Mexico,” recalls Gudlaugson, who lives 

in Richmond. Now, he says, consumers need to be more discerning 

than ever. “We don’t know where the nuts in the nut-bar come 

from,” he says. “Listeria, melamine. Pick up a product in the grocery 

store. For example, sesame-covered pita—it comes from Vietnam. It’s 

difficult to know where every ingredient came from. Food safety and 

security are major issues. When a tub of vegetables comes from the 

farm, I know I can just pick out a carrot and rinse it under the tap 

and I don’t even have to peel it. I know that food is pure organic and 

there’s nothing that’s going to harm my family from that.” 

Many people agree. Since moving last year to an abandoned organic 

tree farm leased by the Nature Conservancy, hiring an apprentice 

and renting additional land, Gallagher has been able to increase his 

capacity. In one year, membership in the CSA has nearly doubled to 

125 shares, at which point Gallagher cut it off. The Langley-based 

farm now has a waiting list. 

That means his farm is feeding about 260 people in total. Each week 

members receive a tub of produce at various drop-off points around 

the city. For the 2008 season, it cost $550 for 18 to 20 weeks of 

produce during the growing season. “Every week it’s like opening a 

treasure chest and seeing what’s inside,” says Gudlaugson. The variety 

is far beyond what you find at the local supermarket: yellow carrots, 

several different kinds of tomatoes and tah tsoi (an Asian green). 

Wrathall was also impressed with the variety, although the downside 

is that sometimes members get too much of a certain thing. 

But the upside is easy. “You learn what’s local by what is available. 

You learn what is in season and what you can freeze. You get a 

chance to be connected with the farmer and the life of the farm. 

And he had the most amazing mustard greens. They were really 

tasty, spicy when raw, and deeply green when cooked. Where else 

would you get something like mustard greens? I’d never tried them 

before and there they were in my box.” 

For information about KALE and Nathan Creek Organic Farm 

CSA, visit nathancreek.ca. For information about NOWBC visit 

nowbc.ca. 

Kimberley Fehr is a Vancouver-based writer (and communications 

coordinator for the Vancouver Foundation) who doesn’t like food that is 

more well-travelled than she is. 

cleaning windows and gutters 

just got tasty 

window cleaning • gutter cleaning • power washing 

1.877.777.KILT (5458) www.meninkilts.net 

mention Edible Vancouver and receive a $10 discount 

big heart. 

small footprint. 

fair trade certified 

certified organic 

carbon neutral 

green facility 

locally roasted 

ethicalbean.com 604.431.3830 


edible Experiment 

CONTROL YOUR 

TEMPER 

By Bambi Edlund 

Manhattan may be the home of saucy supermodels wrapped in 

sumptuous couture, but for me, it’s the home of salty bacon wrapped 

in semisweet chocolate. On my last visit I brought home bars of 

bacon chocolate, and the best part has been the reaction—just its 

mention elicits a series of facial expressions that cycle through a 

wincing yuck, to a thoughtful well, wait a minute now… and end 

with an excited oooh, that might be delicious… 

And they’re right: it IS. 

The only problem? It can’t be purchased in Vancouver. That means 

only one thing: make it yourself. 

I will warn you: working with chocolate is not for the faint of heart. 

If you can’t handle failure, don’t even think about embarking on 

this journey, because I can guarantee you that sometimes, no matter 

how hard you try, the chocolate WILL win. However, if you enjoy a 

challenge, as I do, chocolate can be hugely satisfying. Nightmarishly 

tedious at times, sure—but when you produce that perfect piece of 

shiny chocolate that doesn’t melt in your hand and has a delightful 

snap when broken, you’ll feel like nothing short of a god. 

The path to the 

perfect chocolate is 

both salty and sweet. 

Tempering 

Chocolate appeals not only to my baker’s sensibilities, but also to 

my inner nerd. The science of it is truly fascinating: chocolate is a 

substance entirely devoid of moisture—molten chocolate is a completely 

dry liquid. Wacky. Plus, as melted chocolate cools, the cocoa 

butter forms crystals, which can arrange themselves into one of six 

patterns, each resulting in a completely different flavour, sheen and 

melting point. The arrangement that sets to a hard, glossy, delicious 

finish can only be reached by heating to a precise temperature 

range, cooling a little, and heating a tiny bit more, before cooling 

completely. This process is called tempering. Complicated, yes, but 

entirely necessary. Even more interesting: introducing a piece of 

previously tempered chocolate at a specific step in the process will 

“teach” the crystals how to form—the added piece of tempered 


chocolate (the seed) acts as a leader for the other crystals, showing 

them how to arrange themselves. There are other, more complicated 

methods, but this seems like the obvious choice to me—sort 

of like deciding between teaching a group of wayward seven-yearolds 

how to read a map and compass, or simply sending in a kid 

that knows the route home. 

Chocolate that you buy in block, disc or chip form is already tempered, 

which gives the chocolate its solid, shiny and hard consistency, 

and also makes it resistant to bloom, the whitish coating that 

sometimes forms on the outside of chocolate. Bloom is a result of 

temperature changes or moisture contact. It is harmless and does 

not mean the chocolate has gone bad—but it will cause a more 

chalky or grainy consistency (chocolate with bloom is perfectly fine 

for baking or melting). 

Untempered chocolate melts at temperatures as low as 65°F (which 

means it will melt to a runny mess the moment you touch it), 

whereas the exact same chocolate, after tempering, will melt at 

around 95°F. However, tempering is fraught with potential hazards: 

chocolate heated just 5 degrees too high can scorch, changing its 

consistency and flavour; and chocolate that comes in contact with 

even the tiniest bit of moisture can seize, which means it almost 

instantly becomes a lumpy mess than cannot be brought back to 

its former glory. But with a few precautions and a “try, try again” 

attitude, you will be turning out beautiful treats in no time. 

Tempering is temporary—the resulting gloss and snap lasts only until 

the chocolate is melted again, at which point the tempering process 

must begin at square one. There are a few ways to arrive at perfectly 

tempered chocolate, but I will be sharing what I have found the 

easiest way to make small batches successfully in my own kitchen. 

The supplies 

• Good-quality chocolate, either in a block (chopped into small 

pieces so it melts evenly), or in discs. Many chocolate chips are 

made with lower-quality vegetable oil rather than cocoa butter, 

which means they will behave differently. Best to read the ingredients 

and choose a high quality chip. 

Photos: Philip Solman 

• Bacon and smoked sea salt, if you’re going to create the salty-andsweet 

heavenly combo. For best results, fry a few strips of goodquality 

bacon (I used Hertel’s) until very crisp, wrap in a paper 

towel, and place in a sealed plastic bag. Put the bag in the freezer 

overnight. Once the bacon has been frozen it will still be tasty, but 

will be dry rather than greasy. Crumble into very small pieces. 


The tools 

• A double boiler, or a small pot and a larger diameter metal or 

glass bowl (preferably with a wide lip around the top edge to 

keep steam away from the chocolate) that will sit securely on top 

of the pot. 

• A food thermometer with a clear reading of 75 to 125°F (a thermometer 

specifically for tempering chocolate is best, as it shows 

this temperature range in detail). 

• A heat-resistant silicone spatula (beware that many of the 

common white-tipped spatulas are not heat resistant). 

• Moulds for your finished chocolates (Charlie’s Chocolate Factory 

on Canada Way in Burnaby sells a huge assortment of moulds, as 

well as good-quality chocolate). 

The tempering process 

A few caveats to keep in mind: 

• The smallest amount of moisture can cause chocolate to seize; 

even a damp utensil or a puff of steam can ruin a batch of chocolate. 

Make sure that anything that will come in contact with the 

chocolate, like a spatula or thermometer, is completely dry. 

• Reserve some of the purchased chocolate in its original state. 

Start out by keeping 1 ⁄3 aside—this will be your “seed”. You won’t 

need to add all of it, but if you have to try the process a few times, 

you’ll still have enough seed chocolate left. 

• Because milk chocolate contains milk solids and more sugar, it 

behaves slightly differently, and cannot be taken to temperatures 

quite as high as dark chocolate can withstand. 

The basic tempering guidelines are: 

• Milk chocolate: Heat to 115 to 118°F; cool to 80°F; 

reheat to 85 to 87°F. 

• Dark chocolate: Heat to 118 to 120°F; cool to 80°F; 

reheat to 88 to 91°F. 

So, how to go about this heating and cooling? In this example I will 

use dark chocolate temperatures. Use the slightly lower temperatures 

listed above if you are working with milk chocolate. 

Place the bowl over the pot of water and turn heat on low. Add 

chocolate pieces and stir gently until they are completely melted. 

Clip the thermometer to the side of the bowl so that the tip is 

in the chocolate but not in contact with the bottom of the bowl 

(which will give an inaccurate reading), and allow to slowly rise to 

118°F. As soon as the chocolate is nearing that range, pull the bowl 

from the pot carefully, avoiding the steam. Leave the heat on, as 

you will need this hot water again soon. Stir constantly with the 

spatula (fold rapidly but gently, to avoid air bubbles). Add a few 

of your tempered chocolate pieces, or one larger chunk, as your 

seed, and keep stirring until the temperature drops to 80°F. If you 

still have chunks of unmelted seed chocolate in the bowl at this 

point, remove them. Place the bowl back over the pot and return 

the chocolate to 88°F. It is now ready to use. 

To test the temper, dribble a few thin lines on a piece of wax paper 

or parchment and place in the refrigerator for a few minutes. The 

chocolate should snap when broken (rather than bend before 

breaking), and should not melt at the touch of your fingers. If it 

didn’t set properly, try lowering to 80°F and back to 88°F again. If 

you still don’t get the hard and glossy result, it’s time to start again. 

Luckily, chocolate can be melted and tempered over and over again, 

as long as it hasn’t scorched or seized. If it doesn’t work the first 

time, simply repeat the process. 

If the test strips have a good glossy finish and a healthy snap, then 

congratulations! You are ready to make chocolates. Use a spoon to fill 

your moulds, or you can put the chocolate into a pastry bag—just be 

sure to use it very quickly, before the temperature falls too much. 

Fill the moulds halfway with chocolate, and sprinkle with a pinch 

of bacon and smoked sea salt. Top with enough chocolate to fill the 

mould (make sure all of the bacon has been covered by chocolate). 

Tap the mould on the table a few times to dislodge any bubbles, 

and let sit until hard, usually about an hour. If the chocolate was 

tempered properly, they should pop easily out of the moulds, and 

be glossy and delicious. And bacon-y. 

Try to save at least one to share with others. 

Bambi Edlund has what can only be described as a salt tooth, and 

therefore is endlessly thankful for the current fancy-schmancy-salt-ineverything 

trend. Let’s keep it going, says she. 


Transcendent 

Taste and health – living in perfect harmony. 

Explore the flavorful mysteries and versatility 

of the many colorful varieties of USA Pears. 

The path to enlightenment starts 

at your local grocer. 

® 

www.usapears.org/divine 

Edible 

Whatcom 

True Farm to Table Dining 

2579 West Shore Dr., Lummi Island 

888.294.2620 www.willows-inn.com 

119 North Commercial St., Bellingham 

360.676.1307 

www.nimbusrestaurant.com 

When you 

visit Bellingham 

and Lummi 

Island in 

Washington 

State – enjoy 

fresh, organic 

and local 

ingredients 

at these 

establishments. 

34926 Great idea 08.indd 1 8/11/08 5:20:53 PM 


field NOTES 

Taxing Farmers 

Off The Land 

By Jeff Nield 

Nobody likes paying taxes. But for about 100 farmers 

in Saanich, opening their 2007 property tax notice was 

especially unpleasant. BC Assessment had determined 

that their properties are “split use” between farm and 

residential. Most of the farmers had been paying only 

farm taxes for years, and the new split assessment could 

easily add thousands of dollars to their tax bill. Considering 

the aging farm population (which averages 54-57 

years, depending on where you get your numbers), it’s 

a wonder no one suffered a heart attack. 

It shakes down like this. In recognition of the importance 

of farms in our communities, tax rates are set 

lower for land that is classified as farmland. This tax 

break is one of the things that keep small-scale and 

hobby farmers farming. A split tax assessment breaks 

the land up, based on how much is actually being used 

for farming, with the rest being classified as residential. 

In many cases the land that is deemed residential is 

completely unsuitable for agriculture because it is forested 

or ecologically sensitive. 


Photo: Carole Topalian 

“It would almost be easier to not have a farm,” says Doug Downs 

of Eagle Eye Acres. Downs, who raises chickens for meat and eggs, 

was one of the farmers hit with a split assessment. He’s had full farm 

status since he bought his 4.38-acre piece of land seven years ago. 

“I have people who cross town to buy my eggs,” he says. In order 

to keep those customers supplied, and to maintain his farming lifestyle, 

Downs appealed the assessment that would increase his yearly 

tax bill by at least $2000. After reading the farm status regulations, 

Downs was sure he would win. “I have a primary source of agriculture, 

there is only one house on the property, and the rest of the 

land has no use,” he explains. “But I was worried that they couldn’t 

let me win because it would set a precedent.” After a few phone 

calls and two written appeals, Downs property was reassessed as 

farm only. “If they had won I would have quit farming.” 

On the surface it looks like a simple tax grab, but the route to 

the split assessment is a bit more circuitous. For years, farmland 

defenders have been saying that speculators holding onto land 

and waiting for a big payday down the road shouldn’t get farm tax 

status, because they’re not farming the land. Instead of going after 

the speculator, provincial assessors went after working farms, both 

big and small, and split the land by its respective use. Some of the 

farmers affected feel that this is just a roundabout way of putting 

more land in the hands of developers. “Maybe they’ll come back 

and say, ‘there’s too much confusion’, and they’ll just change the 

law,” speculates Downs. As his successful appeal proves, the current 

regulations will make it difficult for split tax assessments to hold up. 

The worry is that BC Assessment will make the regulations more 

explicit about what is and isn’t farm use. This could cause many 

small farmers to lose their farm tax status—and any economic 

incentive to producing food. 

“This is just one more hurdle and it may be the one that puts the 

farmer out of business,” says Lynn (Fairall) Perrin, long-time advocate 

of the Agricultural Land Reserve, and recent graduate of the SFU 

Master of Public Policy Program. While studying policies to promote 

farmers’ markets, Perrin identified a number of onerous bureaucratic 

issues that make farming difficult, including split taxes. 

Along with the economic burden, Perrin says that pushing farmers 

to put every square foot of their land into production is risky. “This 

is what caused the avian flu epidemic,” she explains. “Exhaust from 

infected barns went into non-infected barns because they were too 

close.” Split taxes aren’t responsible for the bird flu, but it demonstrates 

how government policies and regulations can negatively 

influence farming practices. 

The provincial government is paying some attention to farmers’ 

concerns. In December 2007, the Minister of Small Business and 

Revenue committed to a review of current farm assessment policies. 

A review panel was formed, with members from around the 

province representing various sectors of the agriculture community. 

Along with concerns about split assessments, farmers are burdened 

with what they say is an unnecessary bureaucratic process that has 

them applying for farm status every year, instead of it rolling over 

from the previous year. “The purpose of the meetings is for the 

general public and farmers to bring concerns to make assessment 

simpler,” says panel member Heloise Dixon-Warren from Moose 

Meadows Farm in Quesnel. She hopes that people who weren’t able 

to attend will continue to send in written submissions. 

The final product of the panel will put the findings in a report for 

government. And while it’s impossible to say if any of the recommendations 

from the panel will be implemented, they have already 

had some influence. In June, the panel presented some interim recommendations, 

including a moratorium on any changes to farm 

assessments. This allows farms that had status in 2008 to maintain 

that status for the 2009 assessment. Let’s hope that our provincial 

government follows up on their promises to support local food 

systems and helps keep our local farmers on the land. 

To send in a written submission to the review panel and to view 

notes from the sessions visit the Farm Assessment Review website 

at farmassessmentreview.ca. 

Jeff Nield, based in Vancouver, works with FarmFolk/CityFolk to 

cultivate a local, sustainable food system. farmfolkcityfolk.ca 

Why eat local? 

Where to eat local? 

How to eat local? 

Get Local is a partnered project 

of FarmFolk/CityFolk and the 

Vancouver Farmers Markets. 

Visit 

getlocalbc.org 

and get local! 


church-made 

Comfort 

food 

By Debbra Mikaelsen 

Perogies are the flannel 

pyjamas of the culinary scene 

I’ve noticed that very sophisticated people don’t admit to loving 

carbs. After all, these are the flannel pyjamas of the culinary scene, 

when the really cool menus are glitzed up with slinky, strappy dishes, 

like micro greens tossed with pomegranate vinaigrette and sablefish 

wrapped in spinach. But there are days—especially gloomy, soggy 

winter days—when a plate of buttery perogies smothered in sour 

cream and fried onions is precisely what the heart and belly desire. 

Those in the know worship at the temple of carbs on the first Friday 

of every month in Vancouver, the third Friday in Richmond, or 

the last Friday and first Saturday in Surrey. These regular perogy 

dinners are hosted by the BC Ukrainian Cultural Festival and run 

by volunteers (predominantly female, average age of 80) to raise 

funds for the Church. 

St. Mary volunteers making perogies by hand 

Kathy Miske, Parish President of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church 

of St. Mary, says they feed between 250 and 300 people at each 

Surrey event. In belt-tightening times, the church dinners offer 

a budget-friendly dinner out, although there’s no point in literally 

tightening your belt before (or after) a feast like this. Prices 

range from $7 for a Mini Meal to $12 for the Super, and consist of 

perogies, cabbage rolls, sausage (or a vegetarian substitution), coleslaw, 

coffee or tea and ice cream. Their cabbage rolls and perogies 

have always been vegetarian. “People are amazed at how good our 

cabbage rolls taste without meat.” 

The St. Mary perogies are handmade, using real ingredients, under 

the watchful eye of Nettie Holonko. She purchases the groceries, 

organizes the volunteers, makes the dough, and oversees production. 

“She gets our potatoes and cabbage from Mary’s Garden or 

a farm in Chilliwack,” says Kathy. “We peel the potatoes ourselves 

and make our own sauerkraut. The sausages are made and smoked 

especially for us by a local family business.” 

Kathy is proud of the quality that Nettie and the St. Mary women 

serve. “My mom is an extremely good cook, and she says our perogies 

are the best she’s had in a church.” Be warned; most of the 

women agree that once you’ve had homemade, you’ll lose your taste 

for commercially produced perogies. They all get a dreamy look 

on their faces when they talk about Nettie’s borscht, the best most 

of them have had. (Nettie shares her recipe with Edible Vancouver 

readers on page 6). 

The perogy (a.k.a. perogi or pierogi) is a mainstay of Ukrainian, 

Russian and Polish cuisine, prevalent in many Slavic countries, 

and enjoyed at numerous Canadian tables. Its extended family is 

thought to include such noble members as the Italian ravioli, the 

Japanese gyoza and the Chinese wonton. What a wonderfully cozy 


Photos: Philip Solman 

lineage. Canada’s western provinces especially are rich in Ukrainian 

heritage, and subsequently abundant in perogies, but I was a fussy 

child, and our Ukrainian neighbour called her perogies ‘pedihare’, 

something that sounded alarmingly like pet-hair. So I didn’t accept 

her invitations to dinner, and somehow made it into my twenties 

before ever tasting a perogy. Today this admission makes me feel as 

un-Canadian as having never seen a hockey game. 

The word perogy comes from the Proto-Slavic pir, for festivity, and 

since the most common perogies are half-moons of dough stuffed 

with potato (often with cheese, onion or sauerkraut), the celebration 

in question must surely have been for one of my best friends: 

the Patron Saint of Simple Starches. It’s the ultimate comfort food, 

and one born out of practicality. Kathy says that her Ukrainian 

ancestors relied on wheat and potatoes because they were commonly 

available. “Meat was a luxury, for Christmas and Easter only.” 

Perogies are never going to eat all fresh and sparkly. They’re never 

going to feel like a green salad (and thank the gods for that). But 

they don’t have to be starch upon starch. If you’re not quite convinced 

about the undeniably dense combination of dough with 

potato filling, consider the more elegant carrot and brie-stuffed 

morsels at Habit Lounge in Vancouver. It might be a stretch to call 

them sexy, but there’s no denying that they are lustily seductive. 

They’re also a reminder that an inspired cook could stuff these little 

dumplings with virtually anything. There’s no perogy bible or contract 

that lists potatoes as an essential ingredient. Beets with goat 

cheese? Pear, stilton and hazelnuts? Roast pumpkin with gruyere? 

Kathy likes the sound of brie with cranberries, although she’s never 

tried it. However, she does agree that the dough is just a container 

for whatever filling you want—just avoid anything that’s too wet. 

There are even dessert varieties filled with fruit. “Blueberry perogies 

are one of my favourites,” she says. 

I’ve yet to try the fruit versions, but I can say that when the 

rain is thick and the night is cold, carbs and cheese wrapped in 

more carbs are about as comforting as Linus’s security blanket. 

To find authentic, church-made perogies near you, visit 

vcn.bc.ca/bcucf/perogy.html 

Debbra Mikaelsen honestly was born in Canada. She has now eaten 

more perogies than she’d care to count, but she has still never seen a 

hockey game. 

Traditional Perogies 

Dough: 

6 cups all-purpose flour 

1 egg 

1 

⁄4 cup melted butter 

2 to 2 1 ⁄2 cups warm water 

Filling: 

6 large baking potatoes peeled, cooked and mashed (Russets 

are excellent) 

1 1 ⁄2 cups grated medium cheddar cheese 

Salt to taste 

Make the filling by adding grated cheddar cheese to the hot, 

mashed lump-free potatoes. Mix well and cool. 

Add the melted butter to the flour and mix thoroughly. Add the 

egg to 2 cups of warm water and mix well. Add to the flour 

mixture and mix until dough is smooth and soft and pulls away 

from mixing bowl. Then add up to 1 ⁄2 cup more warm water as 

required if the dough appears dry. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, 

turning dough over so the top is also lightly oiled to prevent a 

crust on top. Cover with a clean cloth. Let the dough rest for 

an hour or more. 

On a floured board roll out the dough a little thinner than for a 

pie crust, and cut out circles with a round cookie cutter. Place 1 

heaping tsp of filling onto each round, folding it over to form a 

half circle, and pinching the edges together to seal in the filling. 

Place on a clean towel until all the dough is used. At this point 

perogies can be cooked. Or freeze them individually, then pack 

in freezer bags for future use. 

To cook: Add the perogies to a pot of boiling water. Do not 

crowd the pot. Stir a few times with a wooden spoon to prevent 

sticking. When the perogies are cooked they will float to the 

top. Continue cooking gently for a few more minutes. Remove 

carefully to a colander, rinse with cool water and drain. Serve 

with melted butter, sour cream and onions that have been 

finely chopped and sautéed in butter. 


What the Girls Are Drinking 

Forgive us, Bacchus, for the girls (and honorary 

girls) have sinned. We have heard the word 

wine and thought only grape. We have overlooked fruit 

wines—no, worse. We may even have sneered, once, 

but now we have seen the light. 

Here’s the thing about drinking fruit wine: you almost 

have to forget the second word. It’s unfair to taste it 

expecting a pinot gris or merlot. Just sniff, sip, savour, 

and ask yourself: Was that yummy? And yes, we thought 

that these four were. 

Forbidden Fruit Pearsuasion: A dry white made with certified 

organically grown Bartletts. It’s very pear, with a light 

citrus note. Chilled, it sips nicely solo, and is quite wow with 

a bit of gouda and the heat of some mango chutney. 

Forbidden Fruit Adam’s Apple: Inhale and be transported to 

an apple orchard in autumn. It’s juicy and refreshing on its 

own, and excellent with salami and strong cheeses. “Tasty. 

I’d encourage others who might pooh-pooh fruit wines to 

try it,” said one drinker. The consensus: anyone who enjoys 

a dry, English style cider will probably love this wine. 

Wellbrook Blueberry Wine: A surprisingly gorgeous bouquet 

of floral notes, toffee and caramel. The drinkers all found this 

one the closest to a traditional (red) grape wine, although it 

is intensely berry. “I love it!” One taster wondered where he 

could get a bottle of his own. The answer: Wellbrook sells 

only at their own Old Grainery Store in Delta, but it’s worth 

a trip: the farm is full of character and you can taste their 

other wines while you’re there. 

Wellbrook Fortified Blackberry: The fragrance is a wave 

of rich, jammy fruit, like the crushed wild blackberries of 

a late-summer foraging adventure. It begs to be paired with 

chocolate mousse, crème brulee or cheesecake, but its intense 

flavour is almost a dessert by itself. Decadent! (Try with the 

Chocolate Pots du Crème, page 5.) 

wellbrookwinery.com 

forbiddenfruitwines.com 


What the boys Are Drinking 

This regular department puts local brews in front of 

opinionated people who enjoy a good beer. We give 

them pens and bowls of those perfectly seasoned, fantastically 

crispy Hardbite chips (from Maple Ridge!), 

and oddly enough, most of the time they don’t want to 

go home. This time the boys and pretend-boys sampled 

a few from Dead Frog, craft-brewers in Aldergrove. 

They immediately took a shine to the old-style bottle 

and the embossed logo that uses less paper. These beers 

are easy-drinking and extremely likeable, with subtle 

flavours that would pair well with food. 

Dead Frog Lager: 

This pours out with a pleasant, somewhat toasty 

aroma. The flavour is smooth, almost fruity, with a 

nutty finish. The light effervescence made the boys 

confident that they could easily knock back a few, 

without any of that resulting heaviness. Overall, a 

mild, sunny lager that’s likeable in that friendly, beernext-door 

sort of way. 

Dead Frog Pale Ale: 

A deliciously bronze brew with a big, creamy head and 

a slightly bitter flavour. It’s clean and uncomplicated, 

with virtually no aftertaste, and enjoyable “from nose 

to stomach.” 

Dead Frog Nut Brown Ale: 

A hint of chocolate in the nose is followed by a big, 

complex, almost woodsy flavour that “holds for a good 

long time”. Hands-down the most popular of the 

three frogs, even with those who wouldn’t normally 

consider themselves fans of the nut brown style. 

deadfrogbrewery.com 


Source guide: Where to find 

Businesses with * distribute Edible Vancouver. For a list of distributors visit ediblevancouver.com 

“bringing the best organic & natural foods to the drive” 

1045 Commercial Drive 

604.678.9665 • driveorganics@shawbiz.ca 

ediblevancouver.com 

a great place to hang out 

more seasonal recipes 

more edible events 

more local stories 

sign up online for 

local food news, 

special offers & 

last minute deals 

7960 Winston Street Burnaby, BC 

604-421-2711 

www.thenewmanhattan.com 

Baked Goods 

*THE SPELT BAKERY 

“Vancouver’s Original Spelt Bakery” has moved 

and grown. Started in 1998, we produce some 

of the finest Spelt baked goods in the world 

using organic Canadian grown and milled 

Spelt flour. 2141 East Hastings, Vancouver. 

604-258-2726. thespeltbakery.ca 

*FIELDSTONE ARTISAN BREADS 

Step into Fieldstone and be transported to a 

Parisian boulangerie... Fieldstone creates exceptional 

artisan breads, decadent pastries 

and elegant cakes using certified organic 

flours, filtered water and local, seasonal ingredients. 

#2-12823 Crescent Road, South 

Surrey. 604-531-7880. fieldstonebread.ca 

CASA DEL PANE 

Are you craving Italy? Come and experience 

3 generations of traditional Italian baking 

in the heart of Newport Village, Port Moody. 

Fresh-baked bread, cakes, pastries, and a 

wide range of deli items. 604-469-7263. 

242 Newport Drive, Port Moody 

Beer 

LIGHTHOUSE BREWING COMPANY 

Brewer of premium quality, craft brewed ales and 

lagers, with styles to suit any palette or cuisine. 

Look for us at your favourite pubs, eateries and 

liquor stores. Unit 2-836 Devonshire Rd. Victoria. 

1-866-862-7500. lighthousebrewing.com 

Cafes, Coffee & Tea 

ETHICAL BEAN COFFEE 

Ethical Bean Coffee roasts only the finest, fair 

trade certified organic coffee. We’re passionate 

about making both a positive social and environmental 

impact, while maintaining the highest 

quality standards. Carbon neutral. Vancouver, 

BC. 604-431-3830. ethicalbean.com 

*CASA DOLCE 

Visit us and say Edible Vancouver sent you for 

10% off our fabulous range of locally made 

Daniel chocolates. Also, serving Italy’s finest 

Illy coffee, decadent deserts, perfect panini 

and authentic artisan gelato. 604-461-7888. 

252 Newport Drive, Port Moody. Coal 

Harbour address closed for renovation 

Caterers 

MANDALA CATERING PRODUCTIONS 

Gourmet macrobiotic cuisine infused with 

French Mediterranean elegance. Chef Nancy 

Cameron, graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Paris will 

create a bountiful feast guaranteed to arouse 

passion. Private cooking, classes and consultations. 

778-280-3858. mandalacatering.com 

*THE NEW MANHATTAN CATERING & DELI 

Party food should seduce the eye before it caresses 

the palate. Our stunning presentation 

is surpassed only by a delicate balance of the 

freshest flavours… Winner of Burnaby Now’s 

2008 Reader’s Choice Award for Best Caterer. 

7960 Winston Street, Burnaby. 

604-421-2711. thenewmanhattan.com 

Edible Events 

YULETIDE ON GRANVILLE ISLAND 

Chase the Gingerbread Boy. Every Sat and 

Sun in December. granvilleisland.com 

HOLIDAY MARKET 

Vancouver Farmers Markets celebration of food 

and art. Dec 13 & 14. Heritage Hall—15th 

& Main Street, Vancouver. $2. eatlocal.org 

Farmers’ Markets 

*WINTER FARMERS MARKET 

Eat local, even during the winter months. 

Alternate Saturdays Nov 8–April 25 from 

10am–2pm. WISE Hall, 1882 Adanac 

Street at Victoria Drive. 604-879-FARM. 

eatlocal.org 

Financial Services 

VANCITY 

Canada’s largest credit union helps people 

and communities thrive and prosper. We do 

this by providing the very best in financial 

products and services from 59 branches serving 

over 390,000 members. Commercial Drive 

Community Branch 1675 Commercial Drive, 

Vancouver. 604-877-7123. vancity.com 

Foodie Destinations 

NIMBUS RESTAURANT 

Nimbus offers creative upscale dining with 

chef’s tasting menus, a lively late-night 

menu and seasonal cocktails in a striking 

top-of-the-tower downtown setting. 119 N. 

Commercial St., 15th Floor, Bellingham. 

360-676-1307. nimbusrestaurant.com 

WILLOWS INN 

True farm to table dining at one of the most 

sought after B&Bs and agritourism destinations 

in the San Juan Islands. 2579 West 

Shore Dr. Lummi Island, WA. 

1-888-294-2620. willows-inn.com 

Food Retailers 

*EAST END FOOD CO-OP 

Vancouver’s longest serving co-operative grocer 

is the local food store for the larger community. 

We emphasize buying local, healthy organic 

and fair-trade products. A member driven, 

unionized shop where all shoppers are welcome! 

1034 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. 

604-254-5044. east-end-food.coop 

*CAPERS WHOLE FOODS MARKET 

We strive to offer the highest quality, 

least processed, most flavourful, naturally 

preserved foods. Why? Because food in its 

purest state—unadulterated by artificial 

sweeteners, colourings and preservatives— 

is the best tasting and most nutritious food 

available. wholefoodsmarket.com 

*THE PUBLIC MARKET ON GRANVILLE ISLAND 

Whether it’s produce or flowers, meat or 

fish, tea or coffee, pies or pastries, or even 

breads or bagels, shop the Public Market 

for the finest products from the people who 

know them best. Open until 7pm, 7 days a 

week. granvilleisland.com 

*DRIVE ORGANICS 

Bringing the best organic and natural food 

to the Drive. We carry an abundance of local, 

seasonal produce, plus groceries from other 

local companies. Open Seven Days per 

Week 9am-9pm. 1045 Commercial Drive, 

Vancouver. 604-678-9665 


Juice 

BREMNER’S 

A Fraser Valley farming family that bring you 

pure blueberries, cranberries and premium 

fruit juices. 2.5lbs of berries in every bottle… 

and that’s all. Look out for our New Organic 

Blackberry juice. bremnerfoods.com 

Meat 

*SEBASTIAN & CO. FINE ORGANIC MEATS 

Local family business offering certified organic 

and naturally raised meats, 40-day dry-aged 

beef, exotic game (bison, venison, wild boar, 

fowl) and all natural handmade sausages. 

Custom cuts and special orders welcome. 2425 

Marine Dr. West Vancouver. 604-925-1636. 

Closed Sundays. sebastianandco.ca 

HILLS FOODS 

We are a local, family business that supplies 

organic meats, game meats and specialty 

poultry to chefs, restaurants, retailers and 

wholesalers. Find us at your local store, or at: 

1-130 Glacier St. Coquitlam. 604-472-1500. 

sales@hillsfoods.com hillsfoods.com 

Organics Home Deliveries 

*LADYBUG ORGANICS HOME DELIVERY & STORE 

Experience our satisfying selection of organic 

& natural foods. Order online for deliveries 

from Hope to Vancouver or visit our store. Your 

connection to local produce. #1B 9525 189th 

Street, Surrey. 604-513-8971 or toll free 

1-888-284-8728. ladybugorganics.com 

Organizations 

SPCA CERTIFIED 

Want to eat ethically? Look for the ‘red barn’ 

logo on SPCA Certified foods. In 2002 the BC 

SPCA developed this important program. It 

remains one of the only farm animal welfare 

certification programs in Canada. 

1245 East 7 Ave. Vancouver. 604-681-7271. 

spca.bc.ca/farm 

FARM FOLK/CITY FOLK SOCIETY 

A non-profit society focusing on issues affecting 

food producers and consumers. Our three 

programs are protecting farmland, supporting 

farmers and producers, and connecting farm 

and city through education, celebration and inspiration. 

604-730-0450. farmfolkcityfolk.ca 

GREEN ZEBRA 

Green Zebra makes it easy to live sustainably 

in Vancouver. More than 250 coupons. 

Thousands of dollars in savings. Discover 

eco-friendly retailers. Green Zebra proceeds 

support TB Vets Charitable Foundation. 

greenzebraguide.ca 

Seafood 

*SUPERIOR FISH MARKET 

A fifth-generation fishing family bringing you 

the freshest fish possible. Also, a wide selection 

of wild game, organic meats, Rogers 

Chocolate and many more locally produced 

products. We support BC whenever possible. 

Trenant Park Square, 5229 Ladner Trunk 

Road, Ladner. 604-946-2097 

Services 

MEN IN KILTS 

Cleaning windows and gutters just got tasty. 

Residential, strata and commercial. Mention 

Edible Vancouver and receive a $10 discount. 

BBB Accredited, 100% Clean Guarantee 

and yes, we do wear kilts. No peeking! 

1.877.777.KILT (5458). meninkilts.net 

*O’DELISH—FAST • FRESH • TO GO 

Delicious, nutritious, home-cooked meals to go. 

High quality ingredients, no preservatives or additives. 

A healthy alternative to fast food. Lunchon-the-run 

and baked goods too. 10% discount 

for mentioning Edible Vancouver. 14620 64th 

Ave. Surrey. 778-565-4678. odelish.ca 

Specialty Retailers 

TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES 

Fairly traded food products, gift items, home 

décor and much more. Gifts that give twice. 

1204 Commercial Dr. Vancouver 604-323-9233 

929 Denman St. Vancouver 604-683-0929 

2909 W Broadway, Vancouver 604-730-6831 

1387 Marine Dr. West Vancouver 

604-913-0844. tenthousandvillages.ca 

Wines & Wineries 

TINHORN CREEK VINEYARDS 

Tinhorn Creek has embraced a multifaceted 

stewardship approach to protect the critters 

in the vineyards and the environment in our 

care. The Land Conservancy has recognized 

us as a Conservation Partner. Oliver, BC. 

1-888-484-6467. tinhorn.com 

*WELLBROOK WINERY 

Enter The Old Grainery Store at the Wellbrook 

Winery in Delta and experience the turn-of-thecentury 

atmosphere combined with distinctive 

quality wines. Why not drop by for an 

afternoon adventure? 4626 88th Street, Delta. 

604-946-1868. wellbrookwinery.com 

Wine Stores 

*BELLEVUE WINE COMPANY 

West Vancouver’s specialty retailer of BC 

wines at LDB/winery prices. 1471 Bellevue 

Ave. West Vancouver. 604-913-0802. 

bellevuewine.com 

*THE WINE EMPORIUM 

Best BC wines at par with Government Liquor 

Store prices. #500–22259 48th Ave. Langley. 

604-532-5388. wine-emporium.com 

*VILLAGE WINES 

Vancouver’s original BC wine stores, Village 

Wines carry over 500 B.C VQA wines 

including a large selection of icewines and 

dessert wines. Complimentary tastings are 

held Saturdays, please see our website 

for details. 3050 Edgemont Blvd. North 

Vancouver 604-985-9463. 

3536 W 41st Ave. Vancouver 604-269-9433. 

1811 W 1st Ave. Vancouver 604-732-8827. 

villagevqawines.com 

*SIP WINES 

All you could ever want to know about BC 

wines. Ironwood Plaza, Unit 1030–11660 

Steveston Hwy. Richmond. 604-271-9463. 

sipwines.ca 

*KENSINGTON SQUARE WINES 

We offer the best BC wines all in one place. 

6626-B Hastings St. Burnaby. 604-294-9573. 

kensingtonsquarewines.com 

*EVERYTHING WINE 

BC’s largest wine store. Enjoy shopping in a relaxed 

atmosphere where service, selection, and 

value are our priority. Qualified staff will help 

you select a wine that suits your needs. 998 

Marine Dr. North Vancouver. 604-929-7277. 

#131-2401 Millstream Road, Langford. 

250-474-3959. everythingwine.ca 

Subscribe 

Subscribe 

Subscribe 

join the community 

four issues delivered for $29.40 inc GST 

www.ediblevancouver.com 

phone 604-215-1758 

or post a cheque to: 

and join the community 

and don’t miss an issue 

and give a tasteful gift 

edible vancouver 

1038 E 11th Ave 

Vancouver BC V5T 2G2 


finish 

a. 

i. 

j. 

b. 

h. 

How many names can you match to the photos? 

leek 

carrot 

sunchoke Brussels sprouts 

parsnip 

radish 

curly kale red cabbage 

swiss chard beet 

g. 

Think you’re so smart? Now try the Latin: 

Helianthus tuberosus 

Brassica oleracea var. sabellica 

Daucus carota 

Beta vulgaris var. flavescens 

Pastinacia sativa 

Brassica oleracea var. fruticosa 

Raphanus sativus 

Allium porrum 

Beta vulgaris var. conditiva 

Brassica oleracea var. capitata rubra 

c. 

f. 

e. d.

Want to know what’s brewing in Brooklyn, sautéing in San Francisco, appetizing in Austin or hatching in 

Hawaii? Get the best authentic food stories directly from the fields and kitchens of its edible communities. 

Subscribe online to any edible magazine by clicking on the 

“Edible Publications” page at www.ediblecommunities.com and selecting 

the magazine of your choice, or by visiting each website directly: 

EdibleAllegheny.com 

EdibleAspen.com 

EdibleAustin.com 

EdibleBlueRidge.com (VA) 

EdibleBoston.net 

EdibleBozeman.com 

EdibleBrooklyn.net 

EdibleBuffalo.com 

EdibleCapeCod.com 

EdibleChesapeake.com 

EdibleChicago.com 

EdibleDallasFortWorth.com 

EdibleEastBay.com (No. CA) 

EdibleEastEnd.com (Long Island) 

EdibleFingerLakes.com 

EdibleFrontRange.com 

EdibleGrandeTraverse.com (MI) 

EdibleGreenMountains.com (VT) 

EdibleHawaiianIslands.com 

EdibleHudsonValley.com 

EdibleIowaRiverValley.com 

EdibleJersey.com 

EdibleLosAngeles.com 

EdibleLowcountry.com (SC) 

EdibleManhattan.com 

EdibleMemphis.com 

EdibleMissoula.com 

EdibleNutmeg.com (CT) 

EdibleOjai.com (CA) 

EdiblePhilly.com 

EdiblePhoenix.com 

EdiblePiedmont.com (NC) 

EdiblePioneerValley.com 

EdiblePortland.com (OR) 

EdibleRhody.com (RI) 

EdibleSacramento.com 

EdibleSanDiego.com 

EdibleSanFrancisco.net 

EdibleSantaBarbara.com 

EdibleSantaFe.com 

EdibleSeattle.net 

EdibleShastaButte.com (CA) 

EdibleSouthShore.com (MA) 

EdibleToronto.com 

EdibleTwinCities.com 

EdibleVancouver.com 

EdibleWOW.com (SE Mich) 

= Coming Soon

pLu 60009# 

Welcome 

to your 

neighbourhood fish market 

and discover… 

1. Incredible selection – vast array of fresh 

and frozen selections including the best 

seasonal local and wild choices. 

2. Specially trained, passionate fishmongers 

ready to serve you with advice on seafood 

choices, cooking tips and recipes. 

3. Seafood certified sustainable by the 

Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an 

independent, global, non-profit organization 

established to ensure healthier marine 

environments and abundant fish stocks 

for future generations. 

4. Strict Quality Standards for Aquaculture 

developed in partnership with scientists 

and environmentalists that prohibit 

the use of preservatives, antibiotics, 

and added growth hormones. 

$ 

5 OFF 

your SeaFood 

purChaSe oF 

$25 or More 

One per customer. No cash value. Not valid with any other discount offer. Void if 

duplicated. Must purchase $25 worth of seafood. Not valid on purchases of gift 

cards. Valid for Vancouver Metro stores only, december 1, 2008 thru april 1, 2009. 

5. Traceability of our seafood from the 

source all the way to the store through 

our partnerships with fisherman and 

farmers who are committed to your 

health, the environment and the 

integrity of our oceans. 

Capers Whole Foods Market - Robson 

1675 Robson Street, Vancouver 604-687-5288 

Capers Whole Foods Market - Olive 

3277 Cambie Street, Vancouver 604-909-2988 

Capers Whole Foods Market - Kitsilano 

2285 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver 604-739-6676 

Whole Foods Market - Park Royal Village 

925 Main Street, West Vancouver 604-678-0500 

6. Fish just off the boat delivered directly to 

our own processing facility located in the 

Pacific Northwest allowing us to have the 

freshest fish to you within 24 hours. 

Whether it’s wild-caught or farmed, 

fresh or frozen everything in our seafood 

department adheres to our strict 

Quality Standards which are the 

highest in the industry. 

Now that’s a catch you can count on. 

www.wholefoodsmarket.com

edible VANCOUVERÂ® - Edible Communities

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?